Determining positioning and/or relative movement of graphical-user interface element based on display images

ABSTRACT

A system for a computing device of one embodiment of the invention is disclosed that includes an image-capturing mechanism and a controller. The image-capturing mechanism is capable of capturing images. Each image includes at least one corner of a display communicatively coupled to the computing device. The controller is to determine at least one of positioning and relative movement for a graphical-user interface element displayed on the display, based on the images captured by the image-capturing mechanism.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Projection-type display devices have proven popular in environments inwhich many people have to view the display device at the same time.Projection-type display devices are thus especially used in conferencerooms and at conferences in hotels and conference centers. For instance,presentations are typically given within these conferences, anddisplayed using these display devices. As their prices have decreased,projection-type display devices are also becoming more common featuresof home theater set-ups.

One difficulty in using these sorts of display devices is that thepeople giving the presentations may need to have access to the computingdevices driving the projection-type display devices, in order to switchbetween slides within the presentations, as well as perform other typesof actions. In a typical desktop computing device, the most common inputdevices to perform such functionality are the mouse and the keyboard. Ina typical laptop computing device, the most common input devices areusually the touchpad and the keyboard.

These sorts of input devices, however, usually require users to remainrelatively close to their host computing devices. This can beproblematic in the context of presentations. The presenters may roam inthe front of the rooms in which the presentations are being held, andmay not necessarily be close to the computing devices when they need toswitch slides or perform other types of actions. The two alternativesthat these presenters face, either staying close to the computingdevices at all times or quickly scampering back to the computing deviceswhen they need to switch slides, are, however, less than convenient anddesirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system for a computing device of one embodiment of the inventionincludes an image-capturing mechanism and a controller. Theimage-capturing mechanism is capable of capturing images. Each imageincludes at least one corner of a display communicatively coupled to thecomputing device. The controller is to determine at least one ofpositioning and relative movement for a graphical-user interface elementdisplayed on the display, based on the images captured by theimage-capturing mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings referenced herein form a part of the specification.Features shown in the drawing are meant as illustrative of only someembodiments of the invention, and not of all embodiments of theinvention, unless otherwise explicitly indicated.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example situation in conjunction with anembodiment of the invention may be implemented, according to anembodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams of example images captured by animage-capturing mechanism to determine positioning and/or relativemovement for a graphical-user interface element, according to anembodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams of example images captured by animage-capturing mechanism to determine relative movement for agraphical-user interface element, according to an embodiment of theinvention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams of the movement of the graphical-userinterface element on a display based on the images captured by animage-capturing mechanism in FIGS. 3A and 3B, according to an embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method for determining relative movement fora graphical-user interface element based on images captured by animage-capturing mechanism, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of an example image captured by an image-capturingmechanism to determine positioning for a graphical-user interfaceelement, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of the positioning of the graphical-user interfaceelement on a display based on the image captured by an image-capturingmechanism in FIG. 6, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method for determining positioning for agraphical-user interface element based on an image captured by animage-capturing mechanism, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are block diagrams of systems including pointing deviceshaving image-capturing mechanisms, according to varying embodiments ofthe invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a pointing device having animage-capturing mechanism and various buttons, according to anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a method of manufacture for the pointing device of FIG. 10,according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of theinvention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form apart hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specificexemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. Theseembodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilledin the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments may be utilized,and logical, mechanical, and other changes may be made without departingfrom the spirit or scope of the present invention. The followingdetailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense,and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appendedclaims.

Overview

FIG. 1 shows an example scenario 100 in which an embodiment of theinvention may be implemented or employed, according to an embodiment ofthe invention. The scenario 100 includes a screen 102 on which imagesare projected by a projection display device 104 that is communicativelycoupled to a computing device 106. The screen 102 is more generally anobject on which the projection display device 104 projects images, andmay alternatively be a wall or another type of object. The screen 102and the projection display device 104 may together or separatelyconstitute a display in one embodiment of the invention. Other types ofdisplays that are amenable to different embodiments of the inventioninclude cathode-ray tube (CRT) display devices, liquid-crystal display(LCD) devices, flat-panel display (FPD) devices, plasma display devices,as well as other types of display devices. The display may be at leastsubstantially rectangularly shaped.

The computing device 106 may be a desktop computer, a laptop computer, ahandheld computing device, a personal-digital assistant (PDA) device, anaudio-visual device, a visual-only device, or another type of computingdevice. Whereas the display including the projection display device 104is depicted in FIG. 1 as being external to the computing device 106, inother embodiments of the invention the display may be internal to andpart of the computing device 106. For example, the LCD or other type ofFPD of a laptop computer is typically internal to a part of thecomputing device 106. The computing device 106 causes images to bedisplayed on or by the display. In the scenario 100 of FIG. 1, thecomputing device 106 causes the projection display device 104 to projectimages on the screen 102.

The scenario 100 further includes a pointing device 108 for thecomputing device 106, controlled by a user 110. The pointing device 108captures images of at least one of the corners 112A, 112B, 112C, and112D, collectively referred to as the corners 112, of the display, andpotentially of the center 114 of the display. The user 110 may aim thepointing device 108 at the position on the display at which the user 110wishes to locate a graphical-user interface element displayed on thedisplay by the computing device 106. The graphical-user interfaceelement may be a mouse pointer, as is common in graphical-userinterface-oriented operating systems, or another type of graphical-userinterface element.

The user 110 may also move the pointing device 108 while aiming thedevice 108 at the display, such that the user 110 indicates the desireddirection and amount of movement of the graphical-user interfaceelement. Based on the images captured by the pointing device 108 whilethe user 110 aims and/or moves the pointing device 108 relative to thedisplay, the positioning and/or relative movement of the graphical-userinterface element is then determined. In turn, the graphical-userinterface element may be correspondingly positioned and/or moved.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show two example images 200 and 210, respectively, thatmay be captured by the pointing device 108, according to varyingembodiments of the invention. In FIG. 2A, the example image 200 includesa portion of a display 202, such as the screen 102 of FIG. 1, includingthe corner 112B thereof. In FIG. 2B, the example image 210 includes thedisplay 202 completely, including the corners 112A-D and the center 114thereof. The display 202 in the images 200 and 210 may be the brightestobject within the images 200 and 210, and the images 200 and 210 mayinclude other objects and features besides the display 202, although forillustrative clarity none are depicted in FIGS. 2A and 2B. Based on theimages captured by the pointing device 108, such as the example images200 and 210, the positioning and/or relative movement for agraphical-user interface element may be determined, two embodiments fordoing so being particularly described in the following sections of thedetailed description. It is noted that the display 202 shown in theimages 200 and 210 of FIGS. 2A and 2B is depicted as being substantiallyrectangular in shape. However, as can be appreciated by those ofordinary skill within the art, in actuality the display 202 may be anangular transformation of a rectangle shape, due to the pointing device108 being non-perpendicular to the display 202, such as the screen 102of FIG. 1.

Determining Relative Movement Based on Captured Images

In one embodiment of the invention, the relative movement for agraphical-user interface element is determined based on the imagescaptured by the pointing device 108. FIGS. 3A and 3B show two exampleimages 300 and 310, according to an embodiment of the invention, inconjunction with which such relative movement may be determined. Theimage 300 is captured by the pointing device 108 before the user 110 hasmoved the device 108. In the image 300, a portion of the display 202 isdepicted, where the corner 112B thereof is at a particular location.

The image 310 is captured by the pointing device 108 after the user 110has moved the device 108. In the image 310, a portion of the display 202is again depicted, where the corner 112B has moved between the images300 and 310 from its location in the image 300, as indicated as thelocation 112B′ in FIG. 3B, to a new location. The amount and directionof movement of the corner 112B of the display 202 is indicated by thearrow 304.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show two examples of a graphical-user interface element402, such as a mouse pointer, on the display 202, where the element 402has been moved based on the images 300 and 310 of FIGS. 3A and 3B,according to an embodiment of the invention. The display 202 in FIG. 4Adepicts the location of the graphical-user interface element 402 whenthe image 300 of FIG. 3A has been captured. The element 402 is depictedas a mouse pointer in this embodiment of the invention.

The display 202 in FIG. 4B depicts the location of the graphical-userinterface element 402 as has been moved on the display 202 after theimage 310 of FIG. 3B has been captured. The element 402 thus has beenmoved from its location on the display 202 in FIG. 4A, indicated as thelocation 402′ in FIG. 4B, to a new location, as indicated by the arrow404. The arrow 404 has the opposite direction as the arrow 304 of FIG.3B, indicating that the graphical-user interface element 402 has movedin the opposite direction between FIGS. 4A and 4B as the corner 112B hasmoved between FIGS. 3A and 3B, comparable to the opposite directions ofthe arrows 604 and 702 of FIGS. 6 and 7, as will be described.

The length of the arrow 404, corresponding to the amount of movement ofthe element 402 between FIGS. 4A and 4B may be different than the lengthof the arrow 304, which corresponds to the amount of movement of thecorner 112B between FIGS. 3A and 3B. However, the amount of movement ofthe element 402 may be proportional to the amount of movement of thecorner 112B. For instance, the amount of movement of the corner 112Brelative to the size of the images 300 and 310, which may be identical,may be the same as the amount of movement of the graphicaluser-interface element 402 relative to the size of the display 202.

Thus, the graphical-user interface element 402 has its relative movementdetermined between FIGS. 4A and 4B based on a change in position of thecorner 112B of the display 202 between FIGS. 3A and 3B. The example ofrelative movement for the element 402 depicted with respect to FIGS.3A-3B and 4A-4B relies upon the corner 112B moving between the image 300of FIG. 3A and the image 310 of FIG. 3B. However, this is just oneexample. The other corners 112A, 112C, and 112D of the display 202, aswell as the center 114 of the display 202, may also have their movementtracked between successive images captured by the pointing device 108 todetermine relative movement for the element 402. The corner, corners, orthe center 114 of the display 202 upon which basis relative movement isdetermined may be selected based on which corner, corners, or the center114 is within both successive images.

FIG. 5 shows a method 500 for determining the relative movement of agraphical-user interface element based on images captured by thepointing device 108, according to an embodiment of the invention. Themethod 500 may be performed to cause the relative movement of thegraphical-user interface element 402 between FIGS. 4A and 4B, based onthe images 300 and 310 of FIGS. 3A and 3B. The method 500 may further beperformed in conjunction with the scenario 100 of FIG. 1.

A first image of at least one of the corners 112 of the display 202communicatively coupled to the computing device 106 is captured (502).The phrase “at least one of the corners 112” of the display 202 isinclusive of the center 114 of the display 202 being captured within animage as well. The user 110 next moves the pointing device 108 in adirection and by an amount at which the user 110 desires to have thegraphical-user interface element 402 moved on the display 200 (504). Asecond image of at least one of the corners 112 of the display 200 isthen captured (506).

The amount and direction of the movement of at least one of the corners112 of the display 200 between the captured images is determined (508).This can include determining the location of at least one of the corners112 within the first image (510), and determining the location of thesame corner(s) within the second image (512). Based on these locations,the amount and direction of movement of at least one of the corners 112between their locations in the first image and their locations in thesecond image can then be determined (514).

Thereafter, the graphical user-interface element 402 is caused to bedisplayed on the display 200, such that the element 402 is moved basedon the amount and the direction of movement of at least one of thecorners 112 of the display 200 between the images (516). For example,the element 402 may be moved in the opposite direction as the directionof the movement of at least one of the corners 112 between the images.Furthermore, the element 402 may be moved by an amount that isproportional to the amount of movement of at least one of the corners112 relative to the size of the images themselves, as has been describedin relation to FIGS. 4A and 4B.

Determining Absolute Positioning Based on Captured Images

In one embodiment of the invention, the positioning, or absolutepositioning, for a graphical-user interface element is determined basedon an image captured by the pointing device 108. FIG. 6 shows an exampleimage 600, according to an embodiment of the invention, in conjunctionwith which such positioning or absolute positioning may be determined.The image 600 is captured by the pointing device 108. In the image 600,the display 202 is completely depicted, where the center 114 thereof isat a particular location. The center 114 of the display 202 is offsetfrom the center 602 of the image 600 itself by an offset amount and anoffset direction indicated by the arrow 604.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a graphical-user interface element 402, suchas a mouse pointer, on the display 202, where the element 402 has beenpositioned or located based on the image 600 of FIG. 6, according to anembodiment of the invention. The element 402 has been located orpositioned by an amount and in a direction away from the 114 of thedisplay 202 as indicated by the arrow 702. The arrow 702 has a directionopposite to that of the arrow 604 of FIG. 6, indicating that thegraphical-user interface element 402 has been positioned in the oppositedirection away from the 114 of the display 202 as compared to thedirection the center of the display 114 is positioned in away from thecenter 602 of the image 600 in FIG. 6.

The positioning of the element 402 within the display 202 in a directionopposite to the direction of the positioning of the display 202 withinthe image 600 results because in FIG. 6 the image 600 including thedisplay 202 has been captured such that the user is pointing thepointing device 108 up and to the left relative to the display 202, thedisplay 202 being captured in the image 600 as down and to the right.Therefore, the user's pointing the pointing device 108 up and to theleft relative to the display 202 is indicative of the user's desire toposition the element 402 up and to the left within the display 202. Thatis, the graphical-user interface element 402 is positioned in adirection relative to the center 114 of the display 202 opposite to thedirection of the center 114 of the display 202 relative to the center602 of the image 600.

The length of the arrow 702, corresponding to the distance of thelocation of the element 402 in FIG. 7 away from the 114 of the display202 may be different than the length of the arrow 602, which correspondsto the distance of the location of the center 114 of the display 202from the center 602 of the image 600. However, the amount by which thelocation of the element 402 is away from the 114 of the display 202 inFIG. 7 may be proportional to the amount by which the 114 of the display202 is away from the center 602 of the image 600 in FIG. 6. Forinstance, the distance of the center 114 from the center 602 relative tothe size of the image 600 in FIG. 6 may be the same as the distance ofthe location of the element 402 from the 114 relative to the size of thedisplay 202 in FIG. 7.

Thus, the graphical-user interface element 402 has its position orabsolute position determined in FIG. 7 based on a position of the 114 ofthe display 202 relative to a field of view of the image 600 in FIG. 6.The field of view of the image 600 is relevant in this determination inthat the distance and direction between the center 602 of the image 600and the 114 of the display 202 can be the basis upon which the positionof the element 402 is determined relative to the 114 of the display 202.The example of positioning and absolute positioning of the element 402depicted with respect to FIGS. 6 and 7 relies upon determining thelocation of the 114 of the display 202 within the image 600. However,this is just one example. At least one of the corners 112, in additionto or in lieu of the 114, may also have their positions or locationsdetermined relative to the field of view of the image 600 to determinepositioning or absolute positioning for the element 402.

FIG. 8 shows a method 800 for determining the positioning or absolutepositioning of a graphical-user interface element based on an imagecaptured by the pointing device 108, according to an embodiment of theinvention. The method 800 may be performed to cause the positioning ofthe graphical-user interface element 402 in FIG. 7 based on the image600 of FIG. 6. The method 800 may further be performed in conjunctionwith the scenario 100 of FIG. 1.

The user 110 aims the pointing device 108 at a position at which theuser 110 desires to have the graphical-user interface element 402displayed on the display 202 (802). An image is captured of the display202 (804). For instance, an image may be captured of at least the center114 of the display 202. The phrase “at least the center 114” of thedisplay 202 is inclusive of at least one of the corners 112 of thedisplay 202 being captured within an image as well.

The location of the display 202 within the image is determined (806).For instance, the location of at least the center 114 of the display 202within a field of view of the image may be determined. The offset amountand offset direction of the location of the display 202 within the imageis then determined (808). For instance, the offset amount may be thedistance of the location of the center 114 of the display 202 away fromthe location of the center of the image. The offset direction may be thedirection from the center of the image to the center 114 of the display202.

Finally, the graphical-user interface element 402 is caused to bedisplayed on the display 202 at a location based on the offset amountand the offset direction that have been determined (810). For example,the direction of the position of the element 402 relative to the center114 of the display 202 may be the opposite of the direction of thecenter 114 of the display 202 relative to the center of the image, ashas been described, and thus may be opposite of the offset direction.Furthermore, the distance of the position of the element 402 away fromthe center 114 of the display 202 relative to the size of the display202 may be proportional to the distance of the position of the center114 of the display 202 away from the center of the image relative to thesize of the image. That is, the distance of the position of the element402 away from the center 114 of the display 202 relative to the size ofthe display 202 may be proportional to the offset amount relative to thesize of the image.

Systems and Pointing Devices

FIGS. 9A and 9B show a system 900, according to varying embodiments ofthe invention. The system 900 includes the pointing device 108, thecomputing device 106, and the display 202. The computing device 106 iscommunicatively connected to both the pointing device 108 and thedisplay 202. The pointing device 108 includes an image-capturingmechanism 902, a communications mechanism 906, one or more buttons 908,and a housing 910. In the embodiment of FIG. 9A, the pointing device 108also includes a controller 904, whereas in the embodiment of FIG. 9B,the computing device 106 includes the controller 904. As can beappreciated by those of ordinary skill within the art, the computingdevice 106 and the pointing device 108 may each include othercomponents, in addition to and/or in lieu of those depicted in FIGS. 9Aand 9B.

The image-capturing mechanism 902 is capable of capturing images, whereeach image has at least one corner of the display 202. Theimage-capturing mechanism 902 may be a camera device, a photosensitivedevice, and/or another type of image-capturing mechanism. The controller904 is to determine positioning and/or relative movement for a graphicaluser-interface element displayed on the display 202, based on the imagescaptured by the image-capturing mechanism 902, as has been described.The controller 904 may be implemented as hardware and/or software, suchas software running on the computing device 106 in the embodiment ofFIG. 9B.

The communications mechanism 906 enables the pointing device 108 tocommunicate with and be communicatively coupled to the computing device106. The communications mechanism 906 may provide for wired and/orwireless communication between the pointing device 108 and the computingdevice 106. Where the controller 904 is part of the computing device106, as in the embodiment of FIG. 9B, the communications mechanism 906communicates the images captured by the image-capturing mechanism 902 tothe controller 904, such that the controller 904—and hence the computingdevice 106—determines the positioning and/or relative movement for thegraphical user-interface element. Where the controller 904 is part ofthe pointing device 108, as in the embodiment of FIG. 9A, thecommunications mechanism 906 communicates information regarding thepositioning and/or relative movement for the graphical user-interfaceelement, as determined by the controller 904.

The buttons 908 may include an activation button, which is actuated tocause the image-capturing mechanism 902 to capture images of the display202. The image-capturing mechanism 902 may capture images while theactivation button remains actuated, and until the activation button isreleased. Alternatively, the image-capturing mechanism 902 may captureimages upon the activation button being actuated and released, and stopscapturing images upon the activation button again being actuated andreleased. The presence of the activation button means that the user doesnot have to worry about constantly directing the pointing device 108appropriately towards the display 202, where not doing so would causethe graphical-user interface element to be undesirably moved orpositioned on the display 202.

The buttons 908 may also include one or more action buttons, which areactuated to cause actions relative to graphical user-interface elements,such as including or other than the graphical user-interface element 402that has been described. Such action buttons may include a left buttonand a right button, to left-click and right-click a graphicaluser-interface element currently underneath a given graphicaluser-interface element, as can be appreciated by those of ordinary skillwithin the art. Finally, the housing 910 of the pointing device 108 maybe that within which the image-capturing mechanism 902, the controller904, the communications mechanism 906, and/or the buttons 908 are atleast partially disposed.

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of the pointing device 108, accordingto a particular embodiment of the invention. The buttons 908specifically include the buttons 908A, 908B, and 908C disposed withinsurfaces of the housing 910. The buttons 908A and 908B may be actionbuttons, whereas the button 908C may be an activation button, as havebeen described. A portion of the image-capturing mechanism 902 isdisposed within another surface of the housing 910, whereas thecommunications mechanism 906 in the embodiment of FIG. 10 isspecifically a wired cable.

FIG. 11 shows a method 1100 for manufacturing the pointing device 108,such as the pointing device 108 of FIG. 10, according to an embodimentof the invention. The housing 910 of the pointing device 108 isinitially provided (1102). The image-capturing mechanism 902 is providedand disposed within the housing 910 (1104). Likewise, the controller 904is provided and disposed within the housing 910 (1106), as is thecommunications mechanism 906 (1108). Furthermore, the activation button908C may be provided and disposed within the housing 910 (1110), as wellas one or more action buttons, such as the action buttons 908A and 908B(1112).

CONCLUSION

It is noted that, although specific embodiments have been illustratedand described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skillin the art that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purposemay be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This applicationis intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the disclosedembodiments of the present invention. Therefore, it is manifestlyintended that this invention be limited only by the claims andequivalents thereof.

1. A system for a computing device comprising: an image-capturingmechanism capable of capturing images, each image including at least onecorner of a display communicatively coupled to the computing device, theimages including a first image including the at least one corner of thedisplay and a second image including the at least one corner of thedisplay; and, a controller to determine at least one of positioning andrelative movement for a graphical-user interface element displayed onthe display, based on the images captured by the image-capturingmechanism, by determining: a first location of the at least one cornerof the display in the first image, a second location of the at least onecorner of the display in the second image, and an amount and a directionof movement of the at least one corner of the display from the firstlocation in the first image to the second location in the second image.2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the images includesthe display completely.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least oneof the images includes a center of the display.
 4. The system of claim1, wherein the controller is to determine positioning for thegraphical-user interface element based on a position of the at least onecorner of the display within an image captured by the image-capturingmechanism relative to a field of view of the image.
 5. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the display is a brightest object within each image. 6.The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is at least one of:a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a handheld computing device, apersonal digital assistant (PDA) device, an audio-visual device, and avisual-only device.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein theimage-capturing mechanism is at least one of a camera device and aphotosensitive device.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the displaycomprises at least one of: a cathode-ray tube (CRT) device; aliquid-crystal display (LCD) device; a flat-panel display (FPD) device;a plasma display device; and, an object on which images are projected bya projection display device.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein theobject on which images are projected by the projection display device isa screen.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the display is part of thecomputing device.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical-userinterface element comprises a graphical-user interface pointer.
 12. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the controller is part of the computingdevice.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller comprisessoftware running on the computing device.
 14. The system of claim 12,wherein the controller comprises hardware.
 15. A pointing device for acomputing device comprising: an image-capturing mechanism capable ofcapturing images, each image including at least one corner of a displaycommunicatively coupled to the computing device, the images including afirst image including the at least one corner of the display and asecond image including the at least one corner of the display; and, acommunications mechanism to communicatively couple the pointing deviceto the computing device, wherein at least one of positioning andrelative movement for a graphical-user interface element displayed onthe display is determined based on the images captured by theimage-capturing mechanism, by determining: a first location of the atleast one corner of the display in the first image, a second location ofthe at least one corner of the display in the second image, and anamount and a direction of movement of the at least one corner of thedisplay from the first location in the first image to the secondlocation in the second image.
 16. The pointing device of claim 15,wherein at least one of the images includes the display completely, andat least one of the images includes a center of the display.
 17. Thepointing device of claim 15, wherein positioning for the graphical-userinterface element is determined based on a position of the at least onecorner of the display within an image captured by the image-capturingmechanism relative to a field of view of the image.
 18. The pointingdevice of claim 15, wherein the display is a brightest object withineach image.
 19. The pointing device of claim 15, wherein thecommunications mechanism is to communicate the images captured by theimage-capturing mechanism to the computing device, wherein the computingdevice is to determine at least one of positioning and relative movementfor the graphical-user interface element displayed on the display basedon the images captured by the image-capturing mechanism.
 20. Thepointing device of claim 15, further comprising a controller todetermine at least one of positioning and relative movement for thegraphical-user interface element displayed on the display based on theimages captured by the image-capturing mechanism, wherein thecommunications mechanism is to communicate information regarding atleast one of positioning and relative movement for the graphical-userinterface element as determined by the controller to the computingdevice.
 21. The pointing device of claim 15, further comprising ahousing within which the image-capturing mechanism and thecommunications mechanism are at least partially disposed.
 22. Thepointing device of claim 1, further comprising one or more buttonsdisposed within the housing.
 23. The pointing device of claim 22,wherein the one or more buttons comprises an activation button that isactuated to cause the image-capturing mechanism to capture the images.24. The pointing device of claim 22, wherein the one or more buttonscomprises one or more action buttons that are actuated to cause actionsrelative to graphical-user interface elements displayed on the display.25. The pointing device of claim 23, wherein the image-capturingmechanism is to capture the images while the activation button remainsactuated until the activation button is released.
 26. The pointingdevice of claim 23, wherein the image-capturing mechanism is to capturethe images upon the activation button being actuated and released, andis to stop capturing the images upon the activation button beingactuated and released again.
 27. A pointing device for a computingdevice comprising: means for capturing images of at least one corner ofa display communicatively coupled to the computing device, the imagesincluding a first image including the at least one corner of the displayand a second image including the at least one corner of the display;and, means for determining relative movement for a graphical-userinterface element displayed on the display based on a change in positionof the at least one corner of the display between the first image andthe second image captured by the image-capturing mechanism, bydetermining: a first location of the at least one corner of the displayin the first image, a second location of the at least one corner of thedisplay in the second image, and an amount and a direction of movementof the at least one corner of the display from the first location in thefirst image to the second location in the second image.
 28. A pointingdevice for a computing device comprising: means for capturing images ofat least one corner of a display communicatively coupled to thecomputing device, the images including a first image including the atleast one corner of the display and a second image including the atleast one corner of the display; and, means for determining positioningfor a graphical-user interface element displayed on the display based ona position of the at least one corner of the display within an imagecaptured by the image-capturing mechanism relative to a field of view ofthe image, by determining: a first location of the at least one cornerof the display in the first image, a second location of the at least onecorner of the display in the second image, and an amount and a directionof movement of the at least one corner of the display from the firstlocation in the first image to the second location in the second image.29. A method comprising: capturing a first image of at least one cornerof a display communicatively coupled to a computing device; capturing asecond image of the at least one corner of the display; determining anamount and a direction of movement of the at least one corner of thedisplay between the first image and the second image; and, causing agraphical-user interface element displayed on the display by thecomputing device to move based on the amount and the direction of themovement of the at least one corner of the display, wherein determiningthe amount and the direction of movement of the at least one corner ofthe display between the first image and the second image comprises:determining a first location of the at least one corner of the displayin the first image; determining a second location of the at least onecorner of the display in the second image; and, determining the amountand the direction of movement of the at least one corner of the displayfrom the first location in the first image to the second location in thesecond image.
 30. The method of claim 29, further comprising a usermoving a pointing device having an image-capturing mechanism andcommunicatively coupled to the computing device between theimage-capturing mechanism capturing the first image and the second imagein a direction and by an amount at which the user desires to have thegraphical-user interface element moved.
 31. The method of claim 29,wherein causing the graphical-user interface element displayed on thedisplay by the computing device to move based on the amount and thedirection of the movement of the at least one corner of the displaycomprises causing the graphical-user interface element to move in adirection opposite to the direction of the movement of the at least onecorner of the display by an amount relative to a size of the displayproportional to the amount of the movement of the at least one corner ofthe display relative to a size of the image.
 32. A method comprising:capturing an image of at least a center of a display communicativelycoupled to a computing device; determining a location of at least thecenter of the display within the image; determining an offset amount andan offset direction between the location of at least the center of thedisplay within the image and a center of the image; and, causing agraphical-user interface element to be displayed on the display by thecomputing device at a position based on the offset amount and the offsetdirection between the location of at least the center of the displaywithin the image and the center of the image.
 33. The method of claim32, further comprising a user aiming a pointing device having animage-capturing mechanism and communicatively coupled to the computingdevice at a position at which the user desires to have thegraphical-user interface element displayed.
 34. The method of claim 32,wherein causing the graphical user-interface element to be displayed onthe display by the computing device at a position based on the offsetamount and the offset direction between the location of at least thecenter of the display within the image and the center of the imagecomprises causing the graphical user-interface to be displayed on thedisplay at a position offset from a center of the display relative to asize of the display proportional to the offset amount relative to a sizeof the image and in a direction opposite of the offset direction.
 35. Amethod comprising: providing an image-capturing mechanism of a pointingdevice capable of capturing images, each image including at least onecorner of a display communicatively coupled to a computing device, theimages including a first image including the at least one corner of thedisplay and a second image including the at least one corner of thedisplay; and, providing a controller of the pointing device capable ofdetermining at least one of positioning and relative movement for agraphical-user interface element displayed on the display, based on theimages captured by the image-capturing mechanism, by determining: afirst location of the at least one corner of the display in the firstimage, a second location of the at least one corner of the display inthe second image, and an amount and a direction of movement of the atleast one corner of the display from the first location in the firstimage to the second location in the second image.
 36. The method ofclaim 35, further comprising providing a communications mechanism of thepointing device capable of communicating at least one of positioning andrelative movement for the graphical-user interface element from thecontroller to the computing device.
 37. The method of claim 35, furthercomprising providing an activation button of the pointing device that iscapable of being actuated to cause the image-capturing mechanism tocapture the images.
 38. The method of claim 35, further comprisingproviding one or more action buttons that are capable of being actuatedto cause actions relative to graphical-user interface elements displayedon the display.
 39. The method of claim 35, further comprising providinga housing within which the image-capturing mechanism and the controllerare at least partially disposed.